The City of Saskatoon is switching gears in its approach to infrastructure repairs in the Broadway business district.

After consultation with business and property owners, the city has decided to complete all of the work in one section of Broadway Avenue before moving on to the next.

The extensive rehabilitation work entails both replacing century-old water mains and repaving the streets above. Future work will strive to finish both, rather than returning later for final repaving.

This should allow the work to be completed sooner, according to a city news release.

Sarah Marchildon, executive director of the Broadway Business Improvement District, said some businesses are witnessing a drop in customers as a result of the construction work.

“It’s been a mix of both positive and negative,” she said Tuesday. “We certainly have businesses that are feeling the pressure more than others.”

Marchildon welcomed the news the city is responding to the concerns of businesses.

The $4-million project began May 2 and is slated to take as long as five months. According to the city, it’s ahead of schedule.

Work at the 12th Street intersection has been completed, allowing access to the Broadway Bridge. However, as of Tuesday, the three blocks south of 12th Street were still blocked off with blue fencing for construction.

If weather permits, the city aims to start repaving the two blocks between 12th Street and 10th Street in about two weeks.

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